THE inspiring figure of Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Baden-Powell was the chief speaker at an Army recruitment drive held 100 years ago at Southampton’s West Marlands.
Local Unionist, Liberal and Labour MPs were also in attendance to offer their support to the town’s Mayor (Alderman W Bagshaw) who was presiding over the proceedings.
One by one, young men from across the district descended onto the Marlands, with many of the prospective recruits following behind the three bands that had enticed the men out of their homes with their patriotic music.
The Post Office band drew men from Shirley, while the Royal Garrison Artillery Bank led others across Cobden Bridge, and the police band, which started from Northam, arrived at the Marlands to the strains of the National Anthem, which, all in all, was hoped would ensue a monster attendance.
A contingent of Australian troops was also present, and, as was appropriate, a group of local Scouts were enlisted to form a guard of honour for Baden-Powell.
The Mayor, in opening the proceedings, said it was his privilege to preside over such a great gathering, offering thanks to all those who had been involved and attended the evening’s event, before handing over the platform to Baden-Powell to a chorus of rapturous cheers.
In a stirring address to the estimated 25,000 or so Sotonians that had assembled on the Marlands, Baden- Powell told the crowd that the man who missed his chance of a soldier’s life now missed the chance to join the great brotherhood of arms, and was a fool.
“I’ll shake hands with the first man that comes” he said, and within an instant a burly fellow shouldered his way through the crowds and stepped up to offer his hand to Baden-Powell, which he grasped and shook heartily.
Another came, and another, and the meeting was forgotten for a few minutes while some of the men came forward to join the “brotherhood”.
The Mayor also gave up his formal duties for a moment to seize a megaphone and invite others to follow the lead of some of the men, which saw the meeting become something of a patriotic auction as the Mayor counted the number who had come forward before shouting “any advance on ten?”
More movement in the crowds resulted in half a dozen other men filtering out of the crowd to the waiting recruiting sergeants, who stood there expectantly in their smart khaki tunics all decorated with numerous medals across their chests.
Baden-Powell assured the men who came forward that there was no greater privilege that could ever be offered to any man with one spark of manhood in him than the opportunity being offered that day, which was “the priceless service of using their strength and not depriving the county of innate action”.
However, the rousing sentiments from the Scouting General went somewhat unheeded as the subsequent Daily Echo reports revealed that just over 40 men stepped out from the thousands that had assembled at the Marlands that evening to sign up for active service.
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